Like most entrepreneurs, there are times you’re aware of  low client action, probably because you’ve become too invisible  in the comfort of your home office and day-to-day busyness, and you need to reintroduce more networking into your business strategy.  You feel you’ve been there done that; those large chicken luncheon network meetings weren’t for you.  Well here’s some ways I’ve found networking to be enjoyable and effective:

1.  Talk to the masters.  If you’re beating your head against a wall and forcing your hand at what isn’t fun or bringing results,  find someone in your industry who does it better to help you improve at it.  Take them for coffee and pick their brain for how they make it work.  Why reinvent the wheel.

2.  Stop networking in ways you don’t want to anymore.  For example, if  formal network business meetings aren’t for you, join a group that is doing something you like that gets you out of your home office, like a hiking group.

3.  Try saying yes to invitations when your automatic is to say no.  I was recently invited to join a female friend with her group of friends.  It meant traveling across town and staying out later than usual on a work night.  Heh – big stuff.  But it was at the Hollywood Bowl for goodness sake, and it included fireworks.  How stuck on invisible must I be to pass this up, right?!  I had no sound reason to say no, so I said yes, and am looking forward to the evening.

(more…)